Tuesday 11 November 2008

Aargh!

Some of you may be aware of the problems I've been having over the past 3 months with my right eye - constantly sore, unable to focus properly, letting too much light in and generally moving into position a little after the left eye - and this has been extremely frustrating for me as I love to read and have been having massive problems doing so during this time.
Well, I have an appointment at the eye hospital later this morning, so hopefully I'll get down to the bottom of what is causing the problems and find a way of sorting it out.

As the appointment will take several hours I decided that rather than not riding at all, I'd get out stupidly early and went for a ride this morning.

My route took me over to Heaton Park along the notoriously busy Alan Turing Way, Cheetham Hill Rd and Bury Old Rd to the St Margaret's Lodge entrance where the fun began. Onto the Bridle Rd that skirts the Park and is bordered by the ever increasingly busy M60 and down a fun, muddy hill before coming out by the huge motorway roundabout, where even the hardy cyclists get a little scared as they try to navigate this (before they remember that there is an underpass through the junction)!
Now it was onto Heywood Old Rd to start the long straight route up into Bowlee and pass near the renewed Birch Services. At this point my route joined that of the Middleton CC Jean Keith Award route and, having passed under the motorway bridge, turns left onto Hareshill Rd, left at the -junction in front of the Business Park and follows Pilsworth Rd round to where Pilsworth Rd turns left.

Onto a little lane that's rough and lumpy before becoming cobbles after Pilsworth Cottages and crossing over the motorway on Castle Rd brought me back round to Heaton Park where I started the return leg of the ride. I rode round to Victoria Avenue (always a nightmare around this area, never mind at this time of day!), purely because it'd mean I could get some speed up and get home quicker!
Blackley passed by in a blur of lights, building shaped blobs and car shaped blobs as I wove my way through the building traffic (it never seems to recede on here) to enter Moston and Newton Heath, where I had fun flying down Droylsden Rd and the Graver Lane conservation area and Berry Brow, where my chain decided to have as much fun as me, and flew off the bike! Luckily I wasn't too far from home if I needed to walk, but the chain went back on like a dream (it has been known to be very stroppy on occasions) and off I went to climb back up Edge Lane and home to a nice steaming bowl of Ready Brek - I know, I'm a big kid at heart!

See the route I took here

Boring bits -

Temperature: 4.5 degrees
Max speed: 33mph
Average speed: 15.7mph
Miles: 29.13
Challenge 49.3% complete with 151.87 miles left to go

8 comments:

  1. How early must you have been out!!! I feel lazy now my planned get up early didn't happen!

    Good luck at the hospital I'm sure it'll go fine!

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  2. nearly half way...that's a good average, particularly with one eye!

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  3. I was out of the flat by 06:30 to ensure I got a good ride in before getting ready to leave in time for the hospital appointment.

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  4. I set my alarm for 6:30am but ignored it! Will try again next week for some early mornings!

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  5. Cobbled streets, busy motorway traffic, underground passes

    This route doesn't exactly sound pleasurable.

    Half way there. Keep clocking those miles up!

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  6. It was also almost pitch black during the ride too Jonathan - even more pleasurable ;o)

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  7. The fact that you were dedicated enough to go out at 6am hasn't gone un-noticed!

    If this challange was easy then anyone could do it.

    - 17days / 150miles left! - Come on Anna!

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  8. After today's ride & crash - very very ouchy - I'm not 100% sure if I'll be able to carry on. Need to find money for a new helmet too as it kinda broke in the crash.

    Blog post will get put on tomorrow morning, so all will be clear then!

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